El Luciano’s unstoppable run reached its high point in the Clásico Aristophanes

Coming up from the conditions ranks, the Stud Mayflower runner notched his fourth straight victory in Saturday’s feature

Francisco Lavigna celebrated a superb performance with El Luciano / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

The unstoppable current form of El Luciano was once again on full display this Saturday at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, as the Stud Mayflower runner made a seamless jump from conditions company into stakes company with the best possible result.

The son of Il Campione (Scat Daddy) registered his fourth consecutive victory, capturing the Clásico Aristophanes(1000m, dirt) in what was the feature of a relatively short card, but one that proved highly successful from a wagering standpoint, with total handle reaching ARS 491,361,109—an average of ARS 44,669,192 per race.

With Francisco Lavigna in the saddle, the winner settled last through the early stages, but began to advance around the midpoint of the race, always tracking Aires de Gloria (Angiolo), who dictated the tempo out wide. By the 500-meter mark, the leader was within reach. El Luciano took command at the 250, and from there he steadily drew clear, finishing with power and authority.

A brave Aires de Gloria held on for second, 1 1/2 lengths adrift, with Tex for Sale (Nashville Texan) completing the trifecta another two lengths back. Further behind, Bizarrap (Forge) and Filoso Class (Filoso Emperor) filled out the minor placings. Final time: :57.79.

Now four years old and weighing in at 532kg, El Luciano is trained by Christian Forastiero and sports a record of four wins from seven starts, with career earnings approaching ARS 20 million.

His victory marked the 44th stakes winner in Argentina for sire Il Campione, and the 133rd black-type scorer as a broodmare-sire grandson for the late, great Intérprete (Farnesio).

His dam, Illa Ticsi, was a dual winner at Palermo and La Plata and has produced two additional winners. The female family traces back to Orientadora (Pepenador), the same line responsible for champion Cleante (Kleiglight), G1 winners Inter Cleante (Intérprete) and Orientado Tom (Shy Tom), and the outstanding miler El Éxito (Il Campione), currently one of the leading dirt milers in Argentina.

With this performance, El Luciano has taken a major step forward in the sprint ranks, continues on an upward trajectory, and now sets his sights on stepping up into Group company.